Amplified Bible
Matthew 19:8
8He said to them, “Because your hearts were hard and stubborn Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.
Matthew 19:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Context of Matthew 19:8
6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 7The Pharisees said to Him, “Why then did Moses command us to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He said to them, “Because your hearts were hard and stubborn Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” 10The disciples said to Jesus, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.”
Read all of Matthew 19Matthew 19:8 word by word
Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὅτι Μωϋσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐπέτρεψεν ὑμῖν ἀπολῦσαι τὰς γυναῖκας ὑμῶν· ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐ γέγονεν οὕτως.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
- becauseπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- of the hardness ofὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- of the hardness ofσκληροκαρδίαsklērokardia · hardness of heartG4641
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- sufferedἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
- to put awayἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630
- wivesγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
- butδέde · thenG1161
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the beginningἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
- it wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- notοὐou · noG3756
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
Cross-references for Matthew 19:8
- Psalms 95:8Do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull as at Meribah [the place of strife], And as at Massah [the place of testing] in the wilderness,
- Zechariah 7:12They made their hearts [hard] like flint, so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.
- Malachi 2:13This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with [your own] weeping and sighing, because the Lord no longer regards your offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
- Mark 10:5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of hearts [your callousness and insensitivity toward your wives and the provision of God] he wrote you this precept.
- Matthew 3:15But Jesus replied to him, “Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him.
- Matthew 8:31The demons began begging Him, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:6But I am saying this as a concession, not as a command.
- Genesis 2:24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
- Genesis 7:7Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark to escape the flood waters.
- Jeremiah 6:16Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the roads and look; ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is; then walk in it, And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’
Commentaries on Matthew 19:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts - It is dangerous to tolerate the least evil, though prudence itself may require it: because toleration, in this case, raises itself insensibly into permission, and permission soon sets up for command. Moses perceived that if divorce were not permitted, in many cases, the women would be exposed to great hardships through the cruelty of their husbands: for so the word , is understood in this place by some…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8He saith unto them - Jesus admits that this was allowed, but still he contends that this was not the original design of marriage. It was only a temporary expedient growing out of a special state of things, and not designed to be perpetual. It was on account of the hardness of their hearts. Moses found the custom in use. He found a hard-hearted and rebellious people. In this state of things he did not deem it prudent to forbid a practice so universal…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-12Verses 3-12 The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the account of the creation, and the first example of marriage; thus…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8Why … did Moses order: The Pharisees believed Jesus contradicted a command in the law (see Deuteronomy 24:1–4). But Moses allowed divorce only because of people's stubbornness. Jesus introduced the radical idea that what God permits is not always what he desires (see 1 Corinthians 6:12). Divorce is never what God desires (Malachi 2:14–16). It shows the brokenness of human sin.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. He saith unto them, Moses--as a civil lawgiver. because of--or "having respect to." the hardness of your hearts--looking to your low moral state, and your inability to endure the strictness of the original law. suffered you to put away your wives--tolerated a relaxation of the strictness of the marriage bond--not as approving of it, but to prevent still greater evils. But from the beginning it was not so--This is repeated, in order to impress upon His…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 19:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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